Final Predictions from The Digital Lifestyle Staff

Well, there's not much time left before we know what shiny new things Apple will unveil at this year's MWSF Keynote. This is probably also a good time to remind you we will live video coverage during the keynote, starting at 11:30 AM ET.

Now then, here's a look at what Adam, Jamie, and myself think will happen tomorrow:

Ryan:
New iMac:
I say it's a done deal, but not anything exciting. Speedbumps and larger drives. The one surprise would be touchscreen functionality.

Netbook:
If Apple Doesn't have something tomorrow to compete with the low-price netbook craze (yes, I'm calling it a craze), it could bode very poorly for the stock over the next year or so. People will buy $499 machines that do 90% of the stuff they want. The MacBook Air is the perfect product, but it's about $1,200 too expensive.

Home media server:
Let's hope not. How about getting AppleTV right first.

iPhone Nano:
I said we would see this a year ago, and I stick by it. I don't know what it does, or what you take away from it to keep the "regular" iPhone relevant, but I think we get one tomorrow.

Mac mini:
Let's hope so. This computer could be put into use in many, many clever ways with just a few tweaks.

Wildcard/one more thing:
Steve will make an appearance, but perhaps only via iChat, or some other way that shows off a cool new feature. Perhaps a new twist on Remote desktop. See, Steve can do all his work from home!

Jamie:
New imac:
Looks like new iMacs are a done deal, but I don't think we'll see anything other than a speed bump. No case design or new features. I don't expect Phil to even mention them.

Netbook:
This seems like too big of an announcement not to have Steve there, but I am gonna say we get a Netbook or what I'm calling the "New Mac Mini." Oh and expect it to be over priced at $799.

Home media server:
Not a chance. This is a niche market.

iPhone Nano:
The beans have been all put spilled by the case manufacturers. This thing is real, but don't expect to see it Tuesday. This is too big a deal for the now dying Mac World. I'd guess we'll see an iPhone event in the coming months.

Wildcards/one more thing:
Looks like a revamp to the 17 inch MBP is on the way. This would fit in nicely with a netbook appearance. Remember when the 17 inch and 12 inch Powerbooks made their debut? Could we see a return of the Mini Me / Yao Ming commercial?

Adam
New iMac:
It's not time for a new imac. The latest imac was released early 2008 making it just about a year old. I think we get a new iMac first half of 2009 but not during Macworld.

Netbook:
Did someone say Macbook Air? They're playing in the high end of this market. Granted it's no 10" display and doesn't have the attractive price point, but since when has apple concerned itself with the low end?? The last I recall is the eMac and that went the way of all things. I say no netbook at Macworld.

Home media server:
They already have that little hobby called the Apple TV. If anything we might get a refresh of this product but we absolutely won't be getting a media server. It was this time last year the AppleTV got a shot of seroids . . . look for Macworld to do the same both boosting storage capacity as well as the AppleTV software.

iPhone Nano:
I don't think so.

Wildcards/one more thing:
Did someone say MacMini? It hasn't seen an update since Mid 2007 and is LONG overdue. I think we get a new MacMini to support the mini display connection on the new displays. I think new MacMini is a feature of the keynote not a "one more thing". It's going to get a speed bump and lets lose the integrated graphics . . . no one wants integrated, we all want MORE. With the speed bump lets support 2x the memory. 2GB simply isn't a LOT and the new MacBooks support 4GB so lets get with the program folks. Don't forget cosmetic changes. After all they need something else to manufacture with the super cool, show stopping water jet a block of al-u-min-e-um process they've come up with.


So there you have it, our final predictions. Be sure to join us for video, and live chat. Oh and don't forget twitter: tdllive

Hey Apple, The Netbook Train is Leaving the Station

On a trip to the local Costco earlier today, I saw quite a clamor. No, it wasn't just the checkout lines stretching back half the store (didn't anyone get the recession memo?) It was people of all ages checking out the HP 1000 Netbook. After waiting a bit to play with it, I've got to say, it's a solid computer - for what it is. I think 75% of the people playing with it may have thought they were using a full-blown laptop miniaturized, and for many of them, it may have been just that. If you intend to simply surf the internet, check email, and write some word documents, (which is still all many people need to do) then you may never notice the underpowered Atom processor.

Personally, it struck me as the ultimate blogging tool. The ability to throw something under 3 pounds into a bag and go, is impressive. If it had 3G wireless connectivity built-in, I may have even pulled the trigger. Are you listening, Apple? This is a product, actually a whole category of products, that are starting to gain mainstream traction, and there isn't an Apple-branded option to be found. The HP Netbook had a solid, but not MacBook Pro solid, feel. The fit and finish, again, not up to what you would expect from Apple, was still significant.

The days of selling an $1100 laptop as an entry level computer are over. Having 80% of the functionality in something at 40% of the cost, and 50% of the weight will appeal to many.

Apple's reluctance/delay in making a splash in this market category could be the biggest under-reported story to the company's future.

While We're Waiting For The Apple Announcements

Looking for something to tide you over until Apple announces the shiny new products of the day? Well, here's your chance to get caught up on all our logical, and illogical (Apple Store within a Store at Walmart) prognostications for today's announcements and beyond:

Just a few hours to go

Apple's latest stop-the-tech-world, we have something to say event kicks off at 1PM ET /10AM PT. We will have live reaction and take your iChats (tdllive) at 2pm ET.

Whatever Happens Tomorrow, the Air's Days Are Numbered

Will the "brick" revolutionize laptop production? Will it dramatically lower prices? Will it simply be an incremental upgrade to existing MacBook line? Whatever we see tomorrow, one thing is increasingly clear: The MacBook Air's days are numbered.

That's not to say there's anything inherently wrong with the Air as we know it today. The fact is though, at some point, (perhaps even this week) the features, weight, and thinness of a full-fledged Apple laptop with DVD drive and full array of ports will rival the portability of the Air.

Apple has previously patented a system of folding ports, which would seem to address the issue of offering more peripheral functionality in a smaller space. And at a time when the 1.8" drive used in the iPod is being produced at up to 250GB, and the cost of solid state drives continues to fall, there's no reason a full-features MacBook can't be thinner than it is today.

The MacBook Air is a transitional product, It is able to fill a gap in the product lineup until technology catches up, and allows for far more computing versatility in a smaller space. It's demise might just be a lot sooner than any of us realize.

Tablet device... Why bother?

For years, there have been rumors of a mythical tablet, or "tablet-like" device from Apple. I hate to spoil everyone's fun, but the tablet device is already out there, and it's called the iPhone.

Yet many people think any day now, we'll see a device with perhaps a 7" screen that would pack the power of laptop, or in some speculation, the device would act as a companion device to a house of Macs. What good would this device be? If you want to sure from the couch, and find a laptop too bulky, there's already the iPhone and iPod Touch. If you're looking for a lightweight design, that comes along with its own drawbacks, there's the Macbook Air. A 7-inch screen isn't large enough to do much more than surf the web. For full computer capability, you would need a physical keyboard, and that of course means a bigger device or a smaller screen.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but I just don't see a place for this in the product lineups. If you want to talk about product gaps, we can talk about the gaping hole where a low-end tower should be, but as for portable devices, the choices are already there.